Superheroes and super powers have been dominating our screens for quite some time now, and the trend has begun creeping into our beloved indie productions as well. If you're even a casual fan of the genre than "Superfreaks" may feel like more of the same, with a much smaller budget. You would be right about that but let's not jump the gun here. Although not a completely original premise, writers Jessica and Eric Scott Curtis decided to try something a little different. We all know the drill when it comes to super powers, and even gave a chance to the "washed up hero type" a-la Hancock; but what about heroes with completely ridiculous powers? Say... off the top of my head... the ability to turn liquid into any kind of delicious beverage? Sounds kind of cool although a little useless right? Here lies the concept of "Superfreaks", people with powers that serve little to no use at all, and a major company (think Heroes) collecting all these super freaks and employing them. Add the staple independent shaky camera to the mix and welcome to the show! Technically, "Superfreaks" suffers from what I call the "Indie sickness" which basically means a lot of hand-held, or seemingly hand-held shots make up a good chunk of the show. It never ceases to amaze me why and how this trend started. Maybe it was via the success of the horrendous Blair Witch Project, or any of the countless shaky features that followed. The simple fact is this: If you want to transcend the indie film look - Don't do hand-held. It's really that simple. Use a tripod. Lock it off. Simple shots, as boring as everyone thinks they are, work much better than a shaky one. Locked shots look pro and polished, easy on the eyes. If you have the cash, the gear and the ability go ahead and use the more complex shots. If you don't have all of the above steer clear and stick with the tried and true basics of cinematography. The writing and concept of "Superfreaks" is what makes the series interesting. As of right now, the pieces are not all in place but the potential is present. This could end up being one hell of a show! The idea presented cuts through any technical issues that may exist and really promises something special. The character portrayals are interesting and could really be great with a slightly more polished edit to the production. The occasional hollow performance I came across could literally have been edited out of the episode, with no harm done to the story. It all comes down to that age old saying: Leave it on the cutting room floor. Just because you may like a specific piece of dialog in a certain scene... if it even feels slightly off don't add it. These are all really minor complaints for an otherwise good production. I expect as/if the series continues, everyone will fall into their characters as will the production itself. Most of your favorite TV shows didn't start that way. Look at any pilot (or even first season) and you'll completely understand. The potential for "Superfreaks" is what makes this a show to check out. With a bit more episodes in place this really could be something. Currently, as it sits right now we have an above average web series that although completely watchable, does suffer some indie issues. Most of us will look past those, but casual viewers may turn up their nose. I'm looking forward to keeping up with the show and maybe re-visiting "Superfreaks" in the near future. As with everything in life, even written opinions such as this one can be updated. I look forward to doing just that.-JT

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